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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — a video
  3. drill — army training
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. cap — of ice
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bass — low music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com